G-Technology ArmorATD is their new shock-, rain- and dustproof hard drive that seems to be able to take a beating. It comes in three sizes, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB.
G-Technology ArmorATD
G-Technology just announced their ArmorATD portable drive, which is made for outdoor usage. They call it a triple-layer shock resistance because the drive has internal shock mounts, is built into a solid aluminum enclosure, which is also wrapped with a protective rubber bumper. According to the manufacturer, it has a crush resistance of up to 1000lbs or 450kg, which is quite impressive. Something that’s actually more relevant is that it’s shockproof when dropped from an average desk (up to 1.2 meters) – the data should be fine when this happens, which certainly isn’t the case for all hard drives.
The new ArmorATD is made to be used on its own as opposed to their ev series rugged drives (see below), which makes it a bit smaller and lighter. It uses a USB-C connector which really has become the standard over the past few years, both on Mac and Windows.
In terms of speeds, it’s still a hard drive and can’t compete with G-Technology’s own G-DRIVE mobile Pro SSD which clocks in at up to 2800MB/s. With a transfer rate of up to 140MB/s, the new ArmorATD drives are solidly placed where most comparable hard drives sit, so there’s no complaints there. Personally, I prefer to use SSD storage these days whenever working on a shoot, simply to save time, but for me a hard drive still provides a great longer-term backup at a much lower cost than most SSDs.
G-Technology’s Evolution of Rugged Drives
It’s nice to see manufacturers focus on ruggedness of storage media more and more, considering that most shoots happen outdoors, where all sorts of things can happen that would compromise the integrity of data (now it might be just me, but here’s hoping that eventually, Apple will release a durable MacBook as well!). Over 4 years ago, G-Technology already announced their G-Drive ev RAW as well as G-Drive ev ATC drives, which were their first foray into building resistant drives for outdoor usage (see our news post from back then here). Those drives, however, had a removable rubber bumper (in case of the G-Drive ev RAW) or a fully removable plastic enclosure (in case of the ATC version), containing Evolution-line drives that can be used with their Evolution ecosystem in their bigger RAID enclosures.
Available from May
The ArmorATD drive will be available from May with a limited 3-year warranty, but can already be preordered from B&H and G-Technology, you can find all links below.
Are you in the market for a rugged drive, is the G-Technology ArmorATD something you would consider getting for your arsenal of kit? Let us know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: Author is member of G-Technology’s ambassador program GTEAM. This is an unpaid news post about a new product (we don’t post sponsored articles on cinema5D.com).

The outdoor activity camera concept from Canon will be a customizable rugged and waterproof camera with big carabiner on its body.
During CP+ 2019 show in Japan, among other camera concepts, Canon presented their outdoor activity camera concept. Saki from cinema5D talked with Watanabe-san from Canon development team about this new concept camera and its features. Please note, that CP+ is a local show taking place in Japan and as such, most japanese company representatives speak japanese only. We chose to highlight this product and bring you the video in japanese with english subtitles.
Canon Outdoor Activity Camera
There are unfortunately not many technical details about this camera yet as it is still in the development stage. Canon only presented this device as a concept. We did not find out what kind of sensor is going to be inside, but my bet is somethng like the GoPro’s 1/2.3″ sensor size. The camera will have a fixed focal length lens. As we found out Canon aims to have 1080p 60fps recording capability in the device when it gets released. That’s all the information there is for now regarding image quality.
Canon is positioning this particular camera for situations where it is difficult to use smartphone for taking photos and filming. Watanabe-san mentioned snowy mountains, swimming pool or sea side. Therefore the camera body is waterproof and rugged. The camera’s design includes a rather big carabiner on the side that allows it to be clipped almost anywhere.
The front cover is removable and it is being held in place by magnets. Canon is aiming to offer many custom aftermarket designs to easily exchange the front panel and cutomize the look of the camera’s front panel. It will be available in various colors and designes – at CP+ only black, green and blue designs were presented, but Canon is considerng bringing even more designs when the camera gets released. As we can see on the photo – the black version of the camera – has a floating accessory mounted. That means when the camera gets dropped in the water, it will not sink to the bottom, but it will float. Kind of like the floating back for GoPro cameras.
On the back we can see a simple dial to switch between different camera modes. The camera will record the media to microSD cards. Slot for the card is on one of the short sides of the camera. There is no information about the price or availability yet. I expect the price to be rather low given the target group and the design of the camera.
What do you think of this concept outdoor camera from Canon? What specs would it have to include to be interesting for you? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

The market for small action cams has become highly competitive these days, with a lot of Chinese manufacturers competing with a very low price against the leader – GoPro. And here’s another new contender from China – Apeman TRAWO.
Apeman TRAWO Action Cam – a GoPro contender?
Impressive Specs and Body Looks Like a GoPro
When I looked at the specs of the new Apeman TRAWO cam, it caught my attention as it lists an f1.8 lens and a Panasonic image sensor. Which is quite different to most other action cams which typically use an f2.8 lens and a Sony image sensor.
It shoots up to 4k30p (no 24p or 25p mode), 2.7k30p, 1080p60 and 720p120.
Note: on the Apeman website the cam claims to have a 2.7k60 and a 1080p120 mode, which is not available on the model I tested (A100 with the V2.1.0.1-A firmware) – I asked Apeman via email and they confirmed my finding – apologizing for this error. I do not know if those modes will be included in the future.
Apeman TRAWO Findings
Hence, I took it for a spin on a sunny afternoon in Vienna. Here are my findings:
OK build quality, lots of accessories included
needs a waterproof housing (included), which typically destroys audio quality
4k30 mode is very detailed and nice
quite contrasty image, no „flat“ look available
all other modes lack detail, e.g. the 1080p60 mode doesn’t look like full HD at all
electronic image stabilization works quite well, but it crops the image significantly (20%)
audio is as good or bad as with other action cams
battery life is so so. After 30mins of shooting the battery symbol turned red
GoPro Hero 6 Black Comparison
Of course this is an unfair comparison, as the GoPro Hero 6 costs 430€ (~515USD), which is four times as expensive as the TRAWO. However, I wanted to see how close the TRAWO gets to the leader of the pack feature and image wise:
GoPro Hero 6 Black:
wider field of view than Trawo, but both have fisheye lenses (which I personally do not like)
comparing the lenses, I am not so sure if the f1.8 claim of the TRAWO is true – the GoPro (with an f2.8 lens) shows much less motion blur at the same setting, indicating a higher shutter speed (hence a faster lens) → should be the other way round actually.
build quality is so much better on GoPro, also has a touch screen
no waterproof housing needed → better audio quality
offers much more framerate options, including 4k60, 2.7k120 and 1080p 240 frames per second
electronic image stabilization works phenomenally, and crops the image by only 12%
much better image overall, having a protune „flat“ mode which retains highlights much better
battery was still at 50% when TRAWO battery symbol turned „red“, indicating a near shutdown
Aliasing in the 1080p60 modes between GoPro Hero 6 and APEMAN Trawo compared.
Regarding resolution and dynamic range, the below image shows a much better highlight handling of the GoPro, and the image detail as well as resolution in the 1080p60 mode is also way better.
Last but not least, for me an action cam should also provide a detailed high framerate mode. The maximum offered by the TRAWO is a 720p 120 frames per second mode. The next higher resolution offered is a 1080p60 mode. Here the GoPro shines with its 2.7k120 and 1080p240 modes.
Conclusion – not a GoPro, but very Attractive Pricing
All in all, the TRAWO offers quite good value for the money, also considering all the accessories which are included. I am still amazed how far technology has progressed – getting a 4k cam for about 100€ is mind blowing. Their Indiegogo campaign only just started, but it is refreshing to see an existing product already – the one we tested was definitely a finished product and not unfinished crowd funding hype (as happens so often)
At the end of the day however, what counts for me in the action cam market is the image quality and the offered framerates. And here the clear winner is the GoPro Hero 6 Black.
What do you think about the Apeman TRAWO? Have you been looking for a budget action cam lately, and is this camera for you? Let us know in the comments below.
Music Credit:
Band: Lathé Swing
Song: Swing 39
(Creative Commons License)

My name is Chris Eyre-Walker, and I’m an outdoor & adventure filmmaker and photographer, and an Olympus Visionary. Originally from Belgium, I ended up in Australia in 2012 from where I’ve been following my dream of becoming a photographer and filmmaker, tell stories and – most importantly – go on epic adventures. I recently shot the film DREAMWALKERS – The Faroes Project, the journey of four friends who set out on an adventure to be the first to highline one of the most unlikely of places: the Faroe Islands.
In 2015 I had the chance to intern for California-based photographer Chris Burkard, and ever since then I’ve been on the move from country to country, from project to project – from shooting surf at Teahupoo in Tahiti to, more recently, attempting a 7000m mountain in Kyrgyzstan. My life’s been a rollercoaster and it’s been one hell of a ride so far!
In 2016 I met up with a friend from Australia and we spent a weekend shooting highlining in Belgium. One thing lead to another and we were soon planning our Faroe Islands adventure. He told me that he and three friends wanted to be the first to highline the Faroes. With my past travel experience and love for this country, I happily joined in on the adventure and decided to create my first real adventure film.
Seven months and a hell of a lot of planning later, and we were on our way.
Name and age: Chris Eyre-Walker, 27.
Currently based in: Sydney, Australia.
Language(s) spoken: English, German, Dutch, French.
Occupation: Freelance photographer and filmmaker. Full-time traveller.
How did you get started in our industry? For me it was a slow move from photography to filmmaking. It still is, actually. I was fascinated by the idea of telling a more complete visual story and sharing my adventures behind the scenes as a photographer. Slowly but surely I’ve been working on my cinematography and storytelling skills, all the while sharing my adventures around the world as a photographer in a series called Adventure Photography On Location on my YouTube channel.
Current assignments: I’m currently travelling in Central Asia for a few months mostly for personal work, but I just came back from a three-week assignment from Lenin Peak (7134m) in Kyrgyzstan for Olympus Australia. The idea was to see how well their cameras would perform at that extreme altitude and demonstrate the capabilities and advantages of a mirrorless m4/3 system for expeditions where weight and size are of vital importance.
Unfortunately, we didn’t quite make the peak. At 6500m we had to turn back due to the weather and one member of the expedition no longer feeling his toes. We were experiencing -30ºC and gusts of wind of up to 30-35km/h. While we suffered in these conditions, it was a positive surprise to see that my Olympus E-M1 Mark IIs seemed to not even be bothered by the extreme environment, so I think it’s safe to say that this is the camera for the job!
What types of productions do you mostly shoot? Most of my work is for my own YouTube channel. I’d say it’s a mix between run-n-gun documentary and educational style, with the occasional video for Olympus.
What is your dream assignment / job in our industry, and what are you really passionate about? To be honest, I’ve never really thought too much about that. I suppose my dream is to become the best at what I love doing, have the chance to work with others in the industry and hopefully be involved in projects I can’t even think of at this stage.
There’s nothing more inspiring than good collaboration with other creatives and athletes who are the best at what they do!
Personally, I’m more and more drawn to adventure documentary style. I love being close up and right in the action. Working with athletes pushing their limits all the while pushing my very own is when I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.
The stories we create and tell while going beyond our limits are the ones we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. It’s those stories I love to tell.
In the work that you are presenting us, now that it is done, what would you have done differently throughout the production? More sleep! Haha. I guess that would never really happen in any version of this project, that’s just how these adventure projects go. But my average sleep for the two weeks in the Faroe Islands was around 5h per night. Not bad… unless you’re spending the other 19 hours of the day in the rain, snow, hail and winds of the Faroe Islands. But we made it in the end!
But honestly, this project went exceptionally well and I believe that’s a result of the 7 months of planning, passion and involvement of everyone on the team.
You chose to shoot your project with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. Can you please describe why you chose to use it, what was your workflow, were you happy with the results and will you ever go that way again? As a photographer, I’ve been using Olympus cameras for the past three and a half years, with weight and size being the biggest factor for me as a travelling creator. I spend around 9-12 months each year on the road, and so does my camera equipment! And naturally, I also shoot my video work with these cameras.
The one thing that Olympus has over any other camera out there is the next-level sensor stabilisation. It’s unbelievably good! There have been many times when I’ve taken a tripod or gimbal with me and just left it in the bag because this camera does it all in-body.
Out of all the shots in the DREAMWALKERS adventure film, we shot about 3% on a tripod. The rest was handheld with a mix of the occasional gimbal shot for faster camera movements.
The smaller the gear and the simpler the setup, the more I can focus on my subject and the story. I intended this film to be a documentary of the adventure of 4 friends who attempt to be the first to highline the Faroe Islands. The cameras were just telling the most visually-pleasing and beautifully-looking version of this adventure. I never wanted the gear to get in the way – and the E-M1 Mark II is exactly the right tool for this kind of job.
It’s easy to use, super weather-resistant and with the sensor’s digital and lens stabilisation (with certain lenses) you have a setup that can work in any environment, no matter how extreme the conditions.
What’s your favourite lighting equipment and why did you choose that kit over other solutions? I shoot 99% run-n-gun, documentary-style in the outdoors, so I don’t really use any lights except available, natural light.
Do you use drones or gimbals in your productions? If so, what is the most effective way you’ve found to deploy them? For DREAMWALKERS we used a DJI Inspire 1 PRO. It allowed me to control the camera separately from the drone itself and therefore achieve the shots I had in mind. I got lucky: my pilot was world class and the communication between us was perfect. He constantly read my mind and knew exactly what kind of shot I was after and what path the drone had to take in order to achieve it.
The biggest challenge for this project was always going to be the wind. The Faroes get winds of up to 190km/h – not exactly ideal conditions for a highlining project, or for flying a drone for that matter. The possibility of highlining and the ability to fly a drone were pretty much intertwined: if the winds were good for highlining, we could usually also fly the drone.
For the occasional gimbal shots, we used a Zhiyun Tech Crane gimbal. Small, light and easy to use, it does the job and fits right in with my shooting style. I was quite impressed with the battery power on these things! You can almost shoot a whole day with one set of the provided, rechargeable batteries!
What editing systems do you use? I edited the entire project on my 2017 MacBook Pro. With around 4000 clips, I went through the process of creating low-resolution ProRes proxy files which I stored on an SSD. With the Thunderbolt 3.1 connection on the MacBook, the whole project went buttery smooth and fast to edit using Premiere Pro CC 2017.
How much of your work do you shoot in Log and what is your preferred way of colour correcting? I shot most of this project on a flat profile similar to Log. Since we were going for a muted, atmospheric look for the film, the grading was very subtle and desaturated, and the flat profile was a perfect starting point.
I graded most of the film directly within Premiere Pro. However, as a photographer I feel a lot more comfortable inside Lightroom when it comes to colours, so for some of the footage, I extracted screenshots and imported them into Lightroom to get the colours and look just right. I then exported each screenshot as a LUT and applied these to the scenes in Premiere Pro. Not a very efficient process, but definitely worth it to me.
How frequently do you travel, and do you have any tips when it comes to packing your gear? Like I mentioned, I spend 9 to 12 months per year on the road. Everything I need is with me at all times.
While I try to pack light, it’s almost impossible to be a full time, lightweight filmmaker / photographer while on the road. New airport regulations around batteries and the carry-on limitations are a real pain, but I’ve been lucky so far!
My one tip would be to split up your hard drives. Check the backup, carry-on the original version and, if possible, have a cloud backup too. I also try to keep my vital stuff on a 3rd SSD, which is much more secure when it comes to getting dropped or bashed around.
If you want to see more from Chris Eyre-Walker, head over to his website.